Just A Beast
by Caitiy
Summary: It is, at its very core, a tale as old as time.
1. Chapter One: Act I

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or the characters contained therein, they belong to Masashi Kishimoto who is kind enough to let fans write fiction. I make no profit from this nor do I intend to.

A/N: Happy White Day!

Unbeta'd. This is _not_ my usual fare. I wrote this back in 2010 around the time I hosted a fairy tale KakaSaku challenge over at the KakaSaku LJ community. I'm not entirely certain what possessed me to write it aside from the likely motivation to do the prompt myself even though I couldn't exactly participate. This was never posted because it was so different from my usual stuff and I couldn't seem to get a second opinion on it (never mind a beta) – think I took that to mean it wasn't any good. ^^;; Well, guess I'll just have to find out. .;; I was super irritated with myself when I read an outdated draft of it that didn't have the ending (when I was looking for completed fics to post) - hopefully that's a good sign.

Four chapters, four weeks. (Fair warning, last chapter might be a day late as it'll be during a super busy time at work.) It's pretty much written but I'm still tinkering with the last three chunks. Also, a one-shot of maybe 17k words seemed a bit… I don't know, wrong, excessive, like overkill? I finally ended up having to break it up into chunks as trying to edit the whole thing in one sitting (to hopefully maintain flow) turned into an absolute beast. ::facepalm::

* * *

Just A Beast

Chapter One: Act I

Kakashi watched as the pink haired woman left the room, listened as she hastily gathered her things, and sighed as he heard her exit his apartment. The closing of the door echoed loudly in his mind. He knew it was a mistake, he should not have let her go... but, he had no choice – he could deny her nothing, regardless of the price he would have to pay as a consequence.

Though she didn't know it, he knew it would be the last time he saw her. Kakashi wanted to wish for things to be different, but he knew that to do so would be futile. Sakura would not come back – not after she heard. No, not after she had heard about what he had done. The elite shinobi knew that he was incredibly lucky for her not to have heard about it already. Tsunade had been wise in having his former student treat him in his own apartment as a live-in medic/nurse, forbidden to leave his apartment… unless, he was well enough for her to do so _and_ he agreed to let her go. Otherwise, Sakura probably would have heard the gossip that was sure to be circulating throughout the village about the biggest event in recent history – the return of Sasuke Uchiha, only just barely breathing.

At the time it had seemed the right thing to do but, now that he had been given the leisure to reflect on both the events and his own actions... perhaps he could have handled the situation better. Perhaps things might not have turned out as they had and, the both of them might not have ended up on their imminent death beds.

Kakashi realized that Sasuke was right, he _was_ a beast. And, now, he would pay the price. Of course Sakura would go to the Uchiha in his time of need and leave her former sensei behind – people such as himself did not get the girl. No, people with past actions as dirty as his received the girl's pity… if they were lucky. They _deserved_ nothing else. A happy ending was not something he would ever have, that particular deck of cards had been stacked against him since the very beginning. No, the only reward ever given to the beasts at the end of the story was death.

With a grunt of pain Kakashi slowly shifted himself into a sitting position, almost panting with the effort. He waited for a moment, collecting himself, before pushing up from the bed wincing at his injuries as he did so. If Sakura had been there she would have yelled at him. He was in no condition to be up and about and he knew it. Doing so would likely be the death of him. Then again, the Copy Ninja already knew that he would die and, the way his mind kept agonizing over Sakura, he figured that sooner would be better than later. Shoving thoughts of her aside the silver haired shinobi forced his uncooperative body to pull on his usual jonin uniform. With one last pained look around the room – he had no intentions of ever returning to it – Kakashi exited his apartment via the window.

* * *

Quickly Sakura set out on her way to the hospital. The medic had known that it would be impossible to find someone to sit with Kakashi while she was gone, so she hadn't even thought to try. He'd been much too violent in his attempts to refuse medical treatment this time… so much so that she herself had been more than a little frightened of the severely injured elite ex-ANBU shinobi. What had set him aside as especially frightening to her mind had been the fact that she could clearly see the rational thought in his eye. Nowhere to be found was the blind irrational desperation that she had become accustomed to seeing in some of the over-trained high ranking shinobi when they were injured and in a corner. He knew exactly what he was doing, systematically refusing treatment and seemingly welcoming death with open arms. She'd never seen anyone so determined to die painfully of their injuries when help was there for him and only just a few feet away.

Sakura grimaced to herself as she remembered the condition he had been in when she was finally able to bully him into letting her inside his apartment. There was blood, lots of blood, and the stink of death. Or, rather the smell that comes to the slowly dying just before their bodies give out. It was something she had become all too familiar with during her many long shifts spent working at the hospital – something she had never once considered she would ever have reason to associate with her former teacher. And, even after he had let her in, it had taken quite some time for her to get close enough to him to do any real good. The stubborn man hadn't wanted to let her anywhere near him and for what reason she couldn't quite begin to imagine. She found the whole situation more than a little upsetting – wondering if she had possibly missed something, a head injury or possibly a subtle personality altering jutsu… Surely Kakashi should have no reason to welcome his own death.

Suddenly, guilt hit her as she remembered just how angry she had been with the Hokage at the time. Tsunade had refused to let her even _see_ Sasuke before being sequestered away in Kakashi's apartment to deal with the unmanageable man. The boy she'd loved since childhood had finally returned. He was at death's door and _she_ wasn't allowed to even _see_ him, never mind treat him. Of course she'd been angry. She'd been forced to treat her former sensei instead of the boy she loved. Granted, Kakashi had clearly needed her – more so than Sasuke since he was successfully refusing treatment from everyone _except_ her. Still, Sakura'd been too worked up about Sasuke's unexpected return to fully process how dire Kakashi's situation truly was until she was actually able to complete a full scan – something he'd not allowed her to do for the first several hours while she was treating him. And, guiltily she had to admit that she had probably taken out some of her, admittedly misplaced, anger on her patient without realizing it. That could have accounted for Kakashi's strange behavior immediately after she had been granted entrance to his flat but, explained nothing else. She still couldn't shake the faint feeling of suspicion over the whole situation. It seemed so unlike Kakashi to behave as vehemently as he had and she had had a hard time forcing herself not to be afraid of him while he was in such a state. As far as she could see, there was absolutely no reason for him to resist with her there to make sure he survived.

With some annoyance the medic realized that she had slowed her pace a little as she wrestled with her guilt. Shaking her head to clear it she rushed on. Sakura didn't want to spend any more time away from Kakashi than absolutely necessary. Since she knew that no one would watch Kakashi while she was gone, she had promised herself that she would only be away from him for a very brief amount of time – enough to go to the hospital, see Sasuke for a few minutes, maybe even get to say goodbye in person if he was awake, and then return.

Kakashi truly was in no condition for her to leave him alone and they both knew it... But, for some reason, she had found herself turning pleading eyes on her former sensei upon receiving the latest note from the hospital. Time was short and slipping through their fingers, Sasuke didn't have much left, and she was afraid that this could be her last chance. So… she had asked. Both of them knew that she shouldn't leave him; Kakashi was still in critical condition and could all too easily take a turn for the worse at any moment. Yet, her former sensei had still acquiesced to her unreasonable and inappropriate request, and Sakura couldn't thank him enough for it. She only hoped that she could get back to him before his condition worsened in her absence.

Guilt ate at her again as she hopped from rooftop to rooftop. She _really_ shouldn't have left Kakashi. A small part of her wanted to turn and head back. Giving in to her indecision, Sakura paused on top of the Yamanaka Flower Shop – the halfway point – torn. Kakashi needed her. He needed her more than Sasuke did... but, this might be her last chance with the Uchiha and she knew that she would never ever forgive herself if she didn't come when he called for her. Sasuke had never wanted her around, had never asked for her help, never mind her presence... and this would probably be her last chance to comply with such a request. However, a very small part of her still had to pose the question, but at what cost?

Hating herself, Sakura shook her head, and continued on to the hospital. Sasuke wanted to see her, he'd been asking for her for the past couple days. True, Kakashi might need her more but, Sasuke had actually asked for her, not as a medic but, as a friend. Self-reproach tore at her heart, but she continued on to the hospital. Kakashi could wait for just a half hour – all she needed to do was to see Sasuke one more time… surely her former sensei could hold out for such a short period of time on his own…

When Sasuke had left the village, Sakura had spent years reconciling herself with his actions. He'd abandoned her, _everyone_ , in order to continue his quest for vengeance. And, while a small part of her stubbornly hoped that one day he might return, she had known deep down that his thirst for revenge would likely cost him his life – a price he would be happy to pay. No amount of her hoping would bring him back to her. With these hard truths realized, she had, years ago, been able to accept the fact that she wouldn't get to see him again; and she had made her own goodbyes to the boy she'd loved. And, with some difficulty, she had moved on with her life.

Or, so she had thought. It seemed especially cruel that not only had he returned against all odds but, that he actually wanted to see her; and, because of their former sensei's inconveniently timed injuries, she was not initially going to be granted the chance to see him one more time. Those goodbyes she had already made to his memory no longer seemed sufficient now that he was actually back… _and_ asking to see her.

Finally the hospital entered her sight and she put on another burst of speed, anxious to get there and see Sasuke for the last time.

* * *

Painfully Kakashi made his way with staggering footsteps into the decrepit house, panting with the effort it had taken him to get across town. As much as he wanted to second guess his actions, he knew it was already too late – he'd done a lot of damage to himself with his change of location. At this point he wasn't even sure that he could be saved, even if did have a medic waiting for him, he was fairly certain that it was already too late for him. Pushing such thoughts aside he allowed his feet to correctly guide himself through the maze of hallways to his father's study – the room where the shamed shinobi had taken his own life. Somehow it seemed fitting.

With a sigh of pain momentarily eased Kakashi lowered himself into the ancient chair in front of his father's desk, and was only faintly surprised when it did not give out beneath him. Once he found himself settled as comfortably as possible in his current situation he let his eyes wander the room, taking in all the little details he had once known and forgotten. Finally his gaze came to a rest on the most recent, until he had disturbed the layers of dust, addition to the room. The dark brownish stain had haunted his dreams when he was younger, but now that he knew that he would soon join his father in both public shame and death, it no longer held any power over him.

* * *

Sakura turned a corner in the hallway and her eyes widened at the number of shinobi apparently loitering in the hall – more particularly around what she guessed to be Sasuke's room. Before she could react, the familiar figure of the Hokage emerged from the chamber and caught sight of her.

"Ah, Sakura, you've come." The older woman nodded in apparent satisfaction, knowing that Sakura wouldn't have left Kakashi unless he was well enough for her to do so – at least the pink haired woman had been ordered not to do so.

The Hokage had been very worried about the Copy Ninja's condition when he had been brought into the village. Kakashi had reacted violently when medics and friends alike had drawn near. Which was not unexpected but, the fact that he had staunchly refused treatment by _everyone_ , including herself – until Sakura had been persuaded to try– had thrown the expert blonde medic for a little bit of a loop. And, Sakura did have to be persuaded. Kakashi had been downright terrifying in his refusal of treatment, behaving like a caged, injured, and cornered wild animal.

Tsunade wasn't surprised that he had allowed his former student to treat him. But, she had been surprised to see that he had initially treated Sakura only marginally better than everyone else he had run off. Something was definitely wrong, but at the time she had been unable to guess at what it could possibly be. Now, after treating Sasuke, she knew, and a part of her wished that she didn't. Sakura didn't deserve such a cruel twist.

Though Tsunade didn't agree with Kakashi's actions, and wanted to make sure he was unsuccessful in his attempts to let death take him, she could now see why he might react as he had. To refuse all medical treatment in his condition was suicide and absolutely unacceptable. However, as much as she wanted to fault him for it, she just couldn't quite manage to find it in herself to do so. It was a damnable position to be in and she could see how he may not be able to see any other way out. He was wrong, of course. Nevertheless, she knew that there would be no persuading him otherwise. No, he was beyond listening to reason now. So, instead, she would just have to ensure that Sakura was there to see that he failed – after all, the pink haired medic was the only person who truly had the power to stop him.

The younger woman felt a stomach twisting pang of guilt knowing that she really shouldn't have come. Kakashi was still very much on death's doorstep. She had effectively abandoned him – albeit temporarily – to come see her dark haired former teammate, the boy she had loved since they were children, just one last time.

Not noticing Sakura's moment of guilt, Tsunade continued. "Good, this might be our last chance. He's asked for you... but..." The blonde woman trailed off, obviously thinking about something carefully before continuing. "He's been away for a long time. He's… changed. He isn't... Well, he won't be the same Sasuke you once knew..." she hesitated before continuing, knowing she would have to come right out and say it but, nonetheless, not enjoying having to put it to words, "…and loved."

Bemused, Sakura shook her head. "Well, of course he isn't." Tsunade must take her for a fool if her mentor thought she'd expected Sasuke to be exactly the same as when he had left. "He's been away for almost ten years I should expect that he's matured a bit and-"

"That's not exactly what I meant," Tsunade cut her off feeling only a minor sense of frustration with the situation.

"What?" Sakura asked feeling confused – Sasuke was Sasuke. Granted, he had been away from the village for a long time, but that didn't change the fact that he was still her former teammate and first love. "What are you trying to tell me here?" she asked, wondering what words blonde woman might possibly want her to read between the lines.

The busty medic shook her head sadly, she had been dreading having to tell her former apprentice. Yet, a part of her had hoped that Sakura might not need to be told – that she would have a realistic grasp on the situation rather than an emotional one. "The Sasuke you knew… he's gone Sakura, died when he left the village. The man in this room... is no longer your former teammate."

"B-but... he's been asking-" Sakura started a trifle uncertain. Sasuke was Sasuke, wasn't he? No amount of time away from the village should change that, right? The outside might have changed, but the inside, deep down, he was still the boy she'd loved. The fact that he was asking for her should have been proof enough of that.

"For you?" Tsunade finished her former student's statement, unable to prevent herself from chuckling grimly. "Yes, he has, but probably not for what you may think."

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked feeling confused, wondering again what she seemed to be missing.

Tsunade raised an eyebrow in surprise. She thought that the situation had been fairly simple to deduce given a few key facts and an age old story. "Hasn't Kakashi told you anything?"

Sakura tilted her head to the side, her confusion deepening as she was unable to imagine what Kakashi might have to do with Sasuke's return. "About what?"

"Ah... I, I see..." Tsunade examined Sakura's expression a little more closely, not sure how to proceed. It wasn't her place to tell Sakura about what had happened, especially if Kakashi hadn't decided to do so. The Hokage had hoped that by assigning Sakura to Kakashi she would accomplish two things: the first, and most important, to save the stubborn man's life from his own misguided actions; and, the second, to allow the silver haired man to finally tell his former student about a few things... such as his feelings for her and the reason behind his current life threatening injuries. Kakashi had, after all, received them defending her, though she apparently was entirely unaware of the situation.


	2. Chapter Two: Act II

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or the characters contained therein, they belong to Masashi Kishimoto who is kind enough to let fans write fiction. I make no profit from this nor do I intend to.

A/N: Unbeta'd. This is _not_ my usual fare. I have never missed having a beta more than I did while trying to get this chapter into something I could be okay with posting. The self-imposed posting deadline is the only reason this chapter is going up now as I'd still be hemming and hawing over it otherwise. ^^;;; The last two are almost done and haven't caused me nearly as many problems as this one has. Hopefully it turns out to be worth the trouble. .

* * *

Chapter Two: Act II

Kakashi let his mind wander as the pain came and went, reminding him of what he had done and just why he would be going to a special hell. After all, few teachers not only fell in love with one of their students but, killed their romantic rival as well… who _also_ happened to be a student. Granted, Sasuke wasn't quite dead yet, but from the pleading notes Sakura had been receiving from the hospital – particularly the latest of the lot – he guessed that death wasn't too far off for the Uchiha heir… or himself for that matter.

Kakashi wished that the argument that had lead to the fight had been about anything else, whether to eat toast butter side up or butter side down sprang to mind as infinitely more preferable. _Anything_ would have been a better reason, anything except Sakura. The whole sequence of events reminded him of just how beastly of a person he really was – how selfish he could be to want someone like his pink haired former student for himself. Not to mention how foolish he had been in thinking that he might, after the Uchiha had been gone long enough, actually have a chance with her someday.

The girl was too good for him, plain and simple. The pink haired medic hadn't even wanted to tend to his wounds when he had been brought back to the village. Instead, Sakura had fought long and loud with Tsunade over the assignment. He hadn't been able to hear the actual argument; however he could easily guess that his former student had wanted to tend to Sasuke instead. And, a part of him couldn't blame her. But, for whatever reason she had finally given in and accepted the task of caring for him in his own apartment; far away from the boy she had loved since childhood and likely without ever having the chance of getting to say goodbye to him before he died.

Unbidden his mind once again ran through the events that had led up to his confrontation with Sasuke. Kakashi had been pretty far out in the forest surrounding Konoha running a simple training exercise to keep himself sharp and, if he were to be honest with himself, as far away from Sakura as possible. He had been finding that it was becoming more and more difficult to hide his feelings from her. If he hadn't been fourteen years older, or her former teacher and if she wasn't still clinging to the memory of a boy who had never cared for her, things might have been different. Regardless, he had been mostly minding his own business while completing his training when, out of the blue Sasuke had materialized on the path in front of him.

Clearly, the Uchiha hadn't been looking for a fight at the time as he'd appeared to be ill. Even though Sasuke had grown up quite a bit since he'd left the village, Kakashi still knew his former student right away. Their conversation had started out civilly enough – Kakashi had offered to take him into custody and escort him to the village where he could get medical treatment – but things had quickly gone downhill from there. Especially, once Sakura's name was mentioned.

Sasuke fully intended to re-enter the village – under the cover of his self-inflicted illness – to take a medic kunoichi. The Uchiha heir didn't care which one. But, he had thought that maybe Sakura would be an easy target if he could find her quickly enough. He needed a medic and someone with whom he could start rebuilding his clan… outside of Konoha, in Sound. At the time, Kakashi hadn't thought to question why the Uchiha would let his plan slip. Now, after having the leisure of time to think it over, he realized that Sasuke was so confident that he would, even ill, easily be able to take Kakashi out of the picture, that he hadn't even considered his former sensei to be a threat, even in his own apparently debilitated state. And, if he couldn't, he could always out Kakashi's dirty little secret to muddy the circumstances of their encounter and use the ensuing uproar to hide his escape.

Sasuke had been wrong in thinking that he could easily take out his former sensei, almost dead wrong, and now both of them were paying the price. Granted, if it meant that Sakura would be saved the anguish of having to deal with her former teammate and the pain he would certainly cause her, Kakashi was glad to pay it. He loved Sakura, had for a long time, but had decided that his former student would be better off not knowing – she deserved better. Unfortunately, in his fight with his dark haired former student the elite shinobi had somehow slipped and Sasuke had quickly guessed his shameful secret.

The sickening laugh that had escaped the Uchiha alone had been enough to spur Kakashi on in their fight. Obviously the younger man found his ex- teacher's feelings for their former teammate to be laughable. Sasuke had then felt it necessary to inform the Copy Ninja that though, he had no actual feelings for Sakura as he had intended on grabbing the first kunoichi medic he ran across, he would now undoubtedly go for the pink haired woman, just to take her away from Kakashi.

It was at that point that the Copy Ninja lost what little self-control he had had left, and struck the final near-lethal blow. Unfortunately for him it was a draining move that had taken more than he had had to give, bringing him down as well. The two mortally injured shinobi had lain where they had fallen in the torn up clearing for almost an hour before one of the new genin teams had stumbled across them during a training exercise.

Vaguely, Kakashi remembered seeing the frightened kids and the emergency rescue team. Once the emergency medic team had carried him into the village he had mustered enough strength to resist. He didn't deserve medical treatment. He'd as good as killed his former student because he'd fallen in love with another former student.

It had also hit him around then that he'd done something far, _far_ worse. He'd taken away Sakura's choice. As much as he couldn't bear the idea of her leaving Konoha to live with Sasuke in what was likely to become a hostile village, he still had had no right to try and take that choice away from her. He knew that as a shinobi of the Village Hidden in the Leaves, he'd done what was right for their home. But, as a friend, he'd failed her. She was a grown woman, a highly skilled medic and kunoichi and he had presumed to make that incredibly important life altering choice for her. Granted, there was no guarantee that Sasuke would even allow her to choose between going with him or, staying in Konoha – certainly a possibility, of course, but a poor excuse for his own actions.

Regardless, the older man had gotten so caught up in his own feelings for Sakura that he had forgotten that he had no right in regard to choosing her future. Though he'd thought, at the time, that he'd been acting in her own best interests; he had then realized, as the medical team was trying to force him into accepting treatment, that he'd really only been acting on his own selfish desire to keep her safe with him in the village. Absently he realized, the road to hell was indeed paved with good intentions.

When she found out, she would never forgive him and, he knew that she would be right to withhold her forgiveness. What he had done was unforgiveable. He was a beast. And, with those dire thoughts, Kakashi had managed to find the strength to hole himself up in his apartment far away from the hospital. The silver haired man had been doing well in his refusal of treatment, managing to keep all the medics, including an irate Hokage at bay… until they decided to bring in the big kunai. She'd fought it, he'd heard her, but eventually Sakura had entered his apartment... and, he had let her.

It had taken all he had to keep her at arm's length those first few hours. After that – after seeing her surreptitiously shed a few tears in frustration at his stubborn refusal of treatment – his defenses had crumbled and he had let her come close enough to tend to his injuries. Kakashi had known, deep down, that he would have to tell Sakura. Tell her not only what he had done but, how he felt about her. Fortunately or unfortunately, he just simply hadn't been able to pluck up the courage to do so before that last note from the hospital arrived.

Now he would die without telling her, and a part of him felt it was better that way. She didn't need to be burdened with his feelings for her, especially after he had killed the man she loved. No, it was better for him to quietly die somewhere out of her sight. Since there was no way she would be coming back once she learned of what he had done, it would probably be a couple days, maybe a week before anyone noticed he was missing and decided to come looking for him – too late.

With a small pained sigh he slouched down a little and the chair and let his eyes slide shut.

* * *

Sakura silently eyed her mentor, patience wearing thin. Sasuke, the boy she had loved for years and had not seen in almost ten, was just on the other side of that door… the one that the Hokage was currently blocking. She had been receiving pleading notes from the hospital for several days – begging for her presence as soon as possible. And, yet, now that she was there, her mentor did not seem to want for her to actually go in and finally see her former teammate.

"Sakura," Tsunade began slowly, once again picking her phrases with much more care than usual. "When you go in there, I want you to remember – that man is no longer your teammate Sasuke. The boy you once knew is gone, and there is _nothing_ we can do to bring him back."

The pink haired medic nodded slowly, unsure what to make of Tsunade's words. She really couldn't imagine it. Sasuke was Sasuke nothing would change that, not even his abandonment of the village. Sure he'd probably matured but, underneath he would still be her former teammate. It struck her as strange of her mentor to try and point this out to her. She again had to almost wonder if there was something she was missing. Or, perhaps something she wasn't being told.

The blonde medic sensed that Sakura wasn't quite taking her seriously and tried again to get her point across. "I'm serious Sakura. The person in there is not who you remember," she paused and reconsidered her decision not to tell her former apprentice about Kakashi and just what had happened to land the pink haired medic's former sensei and teammate in critical condition. But, her conscience warned her off the idea, it wasn't her place. Sasuke was unlikely to talk about it and if Kakashi had wanted for her to know, he would have told her himself. The stubborn man had had plenty of time to do so. Why he hadn't was a mystery to the busty medic, but one that would have to stay unsolved for the time being. Regardless, Sakura deserved to know, but she deserved to hear it from him, not her well meaning mentor.

Shaking her head, Tsunade realized that she had allowed her mind to drift a little. "Don't listen to anything he says. He's hurt, angry, and dying and has been lashing out with lies at whoever comes in to treat him. So try not to let it bother you."

A little taken aback Sakura nodded, suddenly feeling as though there was definitely a whole lot more to the situation than what she was being told and uncertain as to how she felt about it. While she was pondering this latest bit of troubling information, her mentor stepped away from the door and allowed her to enter the heavily guarded hospital room.

Sakura took a deep breath and prepared her mind as she always did before a shift at the hospital, and felt a sense of detached calm fall over her as the influence of the familiar routine in the familiar setting temporarily overrode everything else. With more trepidation than she had initially thought possible, the young medic opened the door and entered the dimly lit room.

It took all of her willpower not to gasp upon entering the shadowy hospital room. The pale and sickly man lying peacefully, apparently asleep, in the bed really _was_ Sasuke. It wasn't her mind playing a terrible trick on her. Her former teammate had finally returned… and he was clearly very ill.

The notes she'd been receiving had contained full, exhaustive, diagnostics of his situation. She'd already spent hours sifting through her own medical knowledge, looking for something, _anything_ , which might have been missed. But, as expected and by all accounts, there was no denying it – he was dying – and there was nothing anyone, herself included, could do. She had already let go of the hope that he might miraculously recover, her long hours at the hospital had taught her nothing if not the one basic fact: there was no such thing as a sudden and miraculous recovery. And, if she were to try something now, she suspected that he would not thank her for it. He'd asked her there as a friend not a medic – he was not in the market for a second opinion and her trying to give him one would only strain their already sure to be painful reunion.

No, she knew that as hard as it would be, it would be best to just focus on spending a little time with her former teammate – see if he needed anything from her to make his own peace with his passing and eventually cope with the inevitable. A small part of her, unable to even _consider_ the possibility that her silver haired friend might not recover – she absolutely _would not_ let him die – was glad that she had Kakashi as a friend as she knew she'd be turning to him when Sasuke left this world.

"Sasuke…" she whispered without realizing she had spoken, still overcome with the whole situation, her sense of medical detachment abandoning her.

The young man's eyes slowly opened and focused on her.

* * *

Kakashi found that his strength was waning and the discomfort was growing. The pain was nothing near what he had suffered during the handful of times he had fallen into enemy shinobi hands and had been subjected to interrogations. At least, the _physical_ pain wasn't anything he couldn't, or rather hadn't, handled before. The _emotional_ pain, on the other hand, was something else entirely.

Unbidden his mind kept reviewing the same facts over and over and over again. He'd fallen in love with Sakura. He'd done his best not burden her with his dirty and inappropriate feelings. He'd been there for her and protected her on countless occasions. He'd even taken on, and as good as killed, their former teammate for her. Yet, somehow it all felt empty. As determined as he was to martyr himself for Sakura without any sort of acknowledgement from her, a small part of him selfishly clung to the desire to be with her… to see her smile at him once more, even if it was false and full of pity.

Even in death, it would appear that he would receive no respite from his shameful feelings and actions. He was a beast. He'd lived like one, and now it was time for him to die like one. Alone. Away from and without ever telling the one he loved.

* * *

Sakura stood, frozen and unsure what to do as her former teammate almost hazily regarded her from his hospital bed.

Finally the Uchiha decided to speak. "You came."

"Yes… I-I heard that you were asking for me…" she trailed off, suddenly feeling somehow shy and awkward as she had been when they were kids – nothing at all like the capable medical professional she had become. Sakura couldn't help but feel perplexed, she wasn't exactly experiencing the feelings she had been expecting and she had no idea why. Her eyes were not immediately filled with tears and the anticipated anguish failed to hit her. She felt only… a brief feeling of sadness mixed with a little regret. Bewildered, she hesitated, uncertain why she wasn't reacting as she thought she should.

Sasuke shifted himself painfully into a sitting position to get a better look at the girl he had gotten into a fight over. She was more than he remembered which surprised him a little. He had thought that Kakashi had atrocious taste falling for a girl like her, but now, seeing her once again… He had to rethink his earlier opinion. Sakura wasn't beautiful but, there was a certain something about her – and that, coupled with the comfortable sense of an old friend, kept him interested in his pink haired former teammate. The fact that she was a highly skilled and trained medic didn't hurt her appeal either – he could really use someone like her, especially in his current weakened state.

Despite what the medics seemed to think, he was not dying, he could take an antidote at any time. It just suited his purposes to play the part of the dying man – very handy to gather information, and to lure Sakura away from the village without a real physical fight. All he had to do now was to finish what he had started with Kakashi. Then he would be free to grab Sakura and return to Sound.

Shaking his head a little, realizing that he'd allowed his mind wander, the dark haired man smiled weakly. "Yes, I have. I wanted to see you before…" he trailed off, not wanting to give himself away in a lie. He knew very well that, no matter what the medics thought, he was _not_ dying. But, he was not ready for Sakura to know that yet and he wasn't certain if she'd see through an outright lie. She'd paid too much attention to him when they were children and consequently had always been able to read him better than anyone. He was too close to his objective now to allow the medic to possibly ruin it all just because he'd allowed her to catch him out in a lie.

Finally, for the first time since she had been told that Sasuke was back, Sakura felt tears sting her eyes. The regret she'd felt upon entering the room suddenly grew until it clutched painfully at her heart. Quickly, as her feet carried her to his side without her conscious direction, she managed to blink the tears away. She didn't want him to see. He'd never wanted to see her cry when they were children and she couldn't imagine that he'd changed enough to welcome seeing her tears now. Hesitantly she started to reach out to him before remembering herself. He would not be pleased with unwanted, unasked for physical contact from her. Instead she pulled her hand back and folded both her hands in front of her to prevent herself from reaching out again without realizing it.

Still, seeing him again, even in this terrible state, she suddenly felt as though she had been transported back in time to when they were kids and she was head over heels for him. The sudden sense of nostalgia brought with it its own sense of deep sadness. Oddly enough, though, the feelings didn't seem to last.

"I'm sorry… I should have come sooner," the pink haired medic paused for a moment, wondering why the automatic words didn't feel as true as she would have thought they should. She wasn't feeling the anguish she was expecting, only a sort of strange mix of grief and regret. "I wanted to come sooner, I did, but…" Sakura let her eyes slip down to her folded hands in front of her, away from his curiously searching gaze. "I couldn't. I'm sorry." She tried to mentally take ahold of herself – to force herself feel the emotions she was expecting but, just couldn't quite seem to manage it. Instead, she found herself filled with a sense of confusion. This reunion was not going as she'd anticipated. A small part of her had to wonder if it was because she'd already grieved over his loss or, if it had to do with her many hours spent at the hospital where death was often a daily occurrence?

The medic heard her former teammate shift a little on the bed but, didn't look up to see – she guessed from her previous dealings with him that he had probably settled himself back down on the bed, having finished speaking with her. Sasuke wasn't particularly what one could call garrulous, and the short conversation they had just finished was about all she was ever able to get out of him before he had abandoned the village. Likely he had just felt some sort of mild curiosity to see how she had turned out while he had been away – she couldn't bring herself to even briefly imagine that he might actually be regretting that decision to leave all those years ago.

With those thoughts in mind Sakura was surprised when she felt his hand brush against her arm. She glanced back up from her hands to look down at the Uchiha. Sasuke had moved himself over on the bed a little and was now tugging lightly at her sleeve, urging her to sit with him.

Her eyes wide, the kunoichi complied, not knowing what else to do. She couldn't help but wonder what Tsunade had been so desperately trying to tell her. Yes, Sasuke seemed to be behaving distinctly unlike the boy she remembered, but he was hardly a monster. If anything he seemed like he _might_ have acquired feelings other than a lust for revenge in his long absence... surely a good thing, wasn't it? Confusion reared its head again – something still seemed off with both herself and her former teammate – none of it was happening as she'd expected.

Feeling the need to fill the somewhat awkward silence, she continued her apology, uncertain even as she spoke as to why she felt the need to elaborate. "I really am sorry… I-I was ordered to tend to Kakashi. He was brought into the village the same day you were, and probably just as badly injured as you…" Sakura trailed off remembering just how terrible of a moment it had been.

Having heard from one of the jonin who usually work gate duty that Sasuke had finally returned she had rushed to the Hokage Tower – only to find out when she arrived that not only was Sasuke on the brink of death but, her former sensei and current friend Kakashi was as well. The news had hit her like a physical blow. And, she'd dashed off to his apartment where a large contingent of medical staff headed by the Hokage had been trying unsuccessfully to treat the stubborn man. She'd argued with Tsunade, she'd wanted to see Sasuke before attempting to treat Kakashi but, had been denied. She'd been very vocal in voicing her unhappiness over such a decision but had eventually given in – Kakashi didn't have time for her to waste going to see their former teammate. Her stomach wrenched again with guilt as she remembered just how precarious Kakashi's situation continued to be and the fact that she really shouldn't have left him to come to her former teammate's bedside.

Sasuke, misreading the moment of anguish that flickered across Sakura's face, covered her hand with one of his own in what he thought was a comforting gesture. From what he could tell things were going very well for him, perhaps just a few more meaningless gestures and she would tell him everything he needed to know. Then he would be able to end what he had started with their former sensei.

Though, now that he stopped to actually think about it, it did seem a little odd that she didn't seem to have connected the fact that he and Kakashi were both brought to the village at the same time, equally badly injured. After a moment's contemplation he figured that no one had told her. How else could they ensure that she would _willingly_ tend to their former sensei? The village certainly wouldn't want to lose a shinobi of Kakashi's stature if they could help it – lying by omission to Sakura would be a small cost if that's all it would take to save the elite jonin's life. _He_ knew that Sakura would never have agreed if she knew that Kakashi had attacked _him_. For just a moment he toyed with the idea of enlightening her before dismissing it as unnecessary. As things were, she didn't need to know and he could see no advantage to telling her. Once he'd finished with his business in Konoha and had her safely back in Sound he'd probably have to tell her – word would get around – but, by then it would hardly matter.

Besides, an irrational part of him now felt the need to kill Kakashi himself – to finish the job rather than let the older man's wounds take him. It almost felt like a rite of passage, though, one he hadn't deemed necessary before discovering the Copy Ninja's feelings for Sakura. Sasuke had felt mystified upon learning about his former sensei's feelings for the kunoichi as he had thought at the time that the girl really wasn't anything special. Granted, he now knew that she had grown into an attractive woman, with useful training. But, he knew that he shouldn't feel as though he _had_ to have her… as though he _had_ to take her from Kakashi, make it clear to the silver haired man that Sakura was the property of the Uchiha clan. Annoyed with himself he had to pin it down to the fact that she was familiar and comfortable. She was someone who had loved and cared for him unconditionally when they were younger, someone he knew he could trust unquestioningly, someone useful with whom he wouldn't mind rebuilding his clan and strengthening Sound. Someone he would have no problems taking from the village in his current weakened state.

Sakura felt strange, unable to read Sasuke's mood. She'd never had trouble reading him when they were younger and she found it disconcerting being unable to read him now. It didn't help that the pink haired medic had had to force herself not to flinch away at how cool his hand felt when he covered hers with his. There was something wrong but she couldn't quite put her finger on what. And, she was beginning to suspect that it didn't have anything to do with his illness. A small part of her had to wonder if maybe this was a part of what Tsunade had been trying to tell her earlier. Hastily, she pushed that thought aside – not willing to deal with it just then. Instead, she forced herself to refocus on her childhood friend.

Sasuke continued after a moment's pause. "It's okay Sakura. The important thing is that you came." He squeezed her hand slightly, comfortingly. "I'm glad that you were able to come at all."

Again she fought the urge to pull away, he was behaving distinctly unlike the boy she remembered and she found it more than a little upsetting. "Um, yeah. The last note… the last note the hospital sent…" She didn't know how to finish without coming out and saying that he was dying – she irrationally feared that in speaking the phrase aloud she would somehow make it more real. And, though she had accepted his death long ago, she was having trouble with it once again now that he was actually there in front of her. Granted, she knew he'd likely already resolved himself to his inevitable death but, still… she just couldn't quite seem to bring herself to talk about it with him. Disgusted with herself she had to chalk it up to the fact that even though she was a professional, Sasuke's status as her first love trumped all training and sent her right back to childhood where superstitions were enough to keep death at bay.

As if to punctuate her point Sasuke coughed, not a small clear-your-throat-type cough, rather a full body affair after which you'd almost expect to see a lung.

Sakura winced in sympathy – it wasn't his wounds that were killing him, those had been treated and more or less healed, rather it was a fast moving toxin caused by two different poisons reacting with each other in his body. The poisons were the likes of which none of the medics or doctors had seen before, therefore with no known antidotes or treatment options. Sakura knew that everything had already been tried and that no efforts were spared in trying to save him. But, it was all the medics could do to try and keep up with the poisons and their deadly interactions with each other, and it was still a losing battle. As fast as they could repair the damage, still more damage was done. There was no doubt about it, despite the occasional bouts of apparent strength he was dying, slowly and painfully. And, there was nothing that current medical procedures could do to save him.

"It's all right…" the Uchiha started before lapsing into silence, seemingly deep in thought. Finally after a couple moments he seemed to shake himself out of it. She wasn't behaving as he had expected – no tears or outpouring of generally unwanted conversation – and it looked as though he would have to ask for the information only she could give him. He had to pin her strange behavior to the fact that she thought he was dying and she didn't know how to act around him. An issue that would fix itself once they left the village, he was sure.

Sakura watched the dark haired man closely, looking for something, though she wasn't sure what – Tsunade's warning once again pushing to the forefront of her mind. Perhaps a sign that he was still Sasuke, her former teammate, the boy she'd loved for years. A part of her wondered if maybe Tsunade had been right, something was definitely off with Sasuke, but she couldn't quite sort out just what it was. He looked like the boy she had known aged roughly ten years but, for some reason, she just couldn't quite shake the feeling that something wasn't right with him.

"How is Kakashi?" Sasuke inquired cautiously, trying not to let his real interest shine through to his words. "He must be doing better now. You know, since you've been allowed to come and see me."

Sakura flushed and the guilt returned twisting her stomach painfully once again. She had already spent far more time with Sasuke than she had intended, and the longer she stayed away from Kakashi the higher the risk of him taking a turn for the worst. If he were to die, his blood would be on her hands and the thought of losing two teammates in such a short period of time was simply too much for her to bear.

After a few moments of ashamed silence, she found her voice. "Honestly… he's not doing very well. I-I shouldn't even be here right now. He-he could die any time now…" Self-reproach tore at her and she made an attempt to get to her feet. Kakashi deserved better. He deserved a death not due to a medic's gross negligence; she owed him that at the very least. "I-I have to go… I-I'll come back…"

Sasuke closed his hand around the medic's, a little too strongly for someone in his situation, preventing her from leaving him.

Startled she found his eyes and gazed into them questioningly. "Sasuke?" Sakura watched in surprise as several emotions flickered across his usually impassive visage.

Quickly he tugged at her hand, pulling her down and to him, his dark eyes flashed red, and her world went black. The last thing she remembered was feeling his lips brush against her cheek as she fell forward onto the bed. And, then his soft parting words in her ear. "I'll be back for you."


	3. Chapter Three: Act III

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or the characters contained therein, they belong to Masashi Kishimoto who is kind enough to let fans write fiction. I make no profit from this nor do I intend to.

A/N: Unbeta'd. This is _not_ my usual fare. I am sincerely starting to dislike this fic. I'll be more than happy once it's all posted. At least the last two chapters haven't been as difficult to deal with as the first two. Next week's chapter will probably be posted on Thrusday. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday are long work days and I won't get home until late – and just simply won't have the time to post anything.

* * *

Chapter Three: Act III

Sasuke cursed silently – Kakashi had moved since the last time the Uchiha had visited him in his apartment. He should have checked with Sakura before knocking her out. Actually, the more he thought about it, the more he realized he probably should have taken her with him. Annoyed, he shook his head and put it down to the fact that he was still dealing with the lingering aftereffects of whatever it was that the medics had been doing to him in hopes of saving his life now combined with the nauseating effect of the antidote he had taken. Usually a person would need at least one full day of rest to recover after using the antidote, but Sasuke just didn't have that kind of time. Clearly he was still somewhat under the effects of both the poisons as well as the antidote and they were evidently causing him lapses in judgment.

But, then again, when he had acted, he had done so with one thought on his mind – to kill Kakashi. The way Sakura had reacted when he had asked about their former sensei troubled him – caused some unexpected knee-jerk reaction and he had acted quickly and without enough thought. The old man needed to die, and not only because he was of the previous generation and needed to be removed before the younger generation could gain their rightful place, oh no. He needed to die for even daring to think that he could stand in the way of what the Uchiha heir wanted, which now included a certain pink haired kunoichi he had previously discounted.

She was loyal, that he could see in how she had reacted – attempting to go back to Kakashi's side rather than stay and talk to him. Oh yes, that kind of loyalty would come in handy once he got her back to Sound. But, before he could make that trip he knew he needed to finish the job he had started. The Uchiha didn't like to admit it but, if he didn't, Sakura might not be as willing as he had originally hoped.

* * *

Sakura groaned slightly and felt the stinging impact of another hand on her cheek. Groggily she opened her eyes to find the Hokage's face hovering directly in her line of sight, obviously enraged.

"What the hell happened?" the angry woman cried.

"Huh? Wha?" Sakura managed to mumble, still not quite thinking straight.

The Hokage rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Sasuke! What the hell did he do?"

"Sasuke?" Sakura shook her head, trying to sort out what was going on. Sasuke was a missing-nin, wasn't he?

Tsunade shook her former apprentice with new anger verging on horror, suddenly aware that Sasuke could have done any number of things to Sakura before knocking her out – including wiping or even changing her memories. "Listen to me Sakura, this is very important. What is the last thing that you remember?"

"Huh… um…" Sakura fought the clouds that still befuddled her mind. Finally, after what felt like forever, the fog parted slightly. "Sharingan… _two_ of them." Her eyes widened. "Sasuke really _is_ back?"

The older woman nodded impatiently. "Yes, and we had thought that he was near death… perhaps that was a conclusion we jumped to too hastily…"

"What, what happened?" Her mind reeling Sakura tried to come to grips with the fact that Sasuke had finally returned.

"I don't know." She shook her head in frustration. " _You_ were the last one to see him – that's why I'm asking _you_."

"Oh…" Slowly memories resolved themselves in her mind. Hearing word that Sasuke was back and mortally injured. The order to tend to Kakashi who was as badly injured and fighting with Tsunade over the assignment; she had wanted to tend to Sasuke and when that failed, to at least see him at the before going to help Kakashi. Then, there was the summons to the hospital at an apparently dying Sasuke's request. Guilt clawed at her as she remembered leaving Kakashi when he was still in clear need of her, it doubled once she realized that Sasuke _wasn't_ really dying. Finally, her somewhat strange conversation with Sasuke before he knocked her out resurfaced and her mind looped back to Kakashi again.

Abruptly Sakura sat up. "Kakashi. I have to go. Get back to him… I've been away too long."

Tsunade eyed her quizzically. "He should be alright, you wouldn't have come otherwise."

Vague thoughts of keeping Sakura quarantined until they could verify that all the Uchiha had done was knock his former teammate out surfaced in her mind only to be dismissed for the time being. The older medic suspected that she had larger fish to fry at the moment. Besides, she reasoned, Sakura had only been in with Sasuke for less than ten minutes – the kind of memory alteration she feared he had done would have taken much longer than that. Her initial fears had been clouded by her concern for her former student. They had, after all, been very careful in letting Sakura go into Sasuke's room alone. Even apparently on the brink of death he was a force to be reckoned with and had been treated accordingly, even in regard to a visit with one of his former teammates. Every effort was made to monitor the room without actually putting in a camera. And, they'd gone in immediately upon sensing a spike in chakra activity. That the spike had been due to _Sasuke_ was the last thing they'd expected given the condition the Uchiha had been in when he was first brought to the hospital.

The younger medic shook her head, an embarrassed flush creeping up on her cheeks. "No, he's not. I even told Sasuke as much before he knocked me out – I was about to go back to him…"

The Hokage's eyes widened. " _What_?!"

"Kakashi, he isn't doing well… I shouldn't have come, but…" Sakura trailed off guilt clearly written across her face.

"And, you told Sasuke this?" Tsunade was unable to keep her sudden intense interest from her voice.

"Uh, yeah. He asked. Why?" Confusion tinged the pink haired woman's tone. She couldn't imagine why Tsunade would find it of any importance.

The busty medic gritted her teeth and called for Shizune before returning her attention to her former apprentice. "Because of the reason why they were both brought into the village in such terrible states." In light of this information she was just about positive that Sasuke had not interfered with Sakura's memory – if he had, he certainly wouldn't have left her memory of him knocking her out or of his inquiry into Kakashi's health. Likely he got the information he wanted and hastily knocked his former teammate out before making a run for it. Perhaps he still cared a little for the pink haired medic on some level after all. Or, more likely, he knew his time alone with her would be limited and if he didn't act fast, he'd miss his opportunity to act at all.

Sakura gazed at the older woman questioningly, this was the first she had heard of a possible connection between Sasuke and Kakashi's injuries. "Which was?"

The Hokage shook her head and sighed. "They'd gotten into a fight…" she paused, uncertain if she really should tell Sakura but, continued, knowing her former student had a right to know. And, depending on how things went, she may have lost the chance of learning the truth from Kakashi himself. "And, so far as we can tell, it was over _you_."

Sakura's eyes widened and she felt utterly dumbstruck. She sat for a moment, not really hearing the hasty instructions hissed by Tsunade to Shizune – ANBU teams were to be sent after Sasuke under the assumption that the Uchiha heir was going to try and finish Kakashi off. His status as a missing-nin was to be reinstated with a large bounty placed on his head if he couldn't be caught before he left the village.

Kakashi and Sasuke had gotten into a fight over _her_. But, why? She couldn't even begin to imagine what could have caused them to fight over her. Sasuke had never shown even an ounce of interest in her or her wellbeing before, but now… the way he had acted before knocking her out, the near-kiss, and the promise to come back for her… Her blood went cold. Tsunade was right, that _thing_ masquerading in Sasuke's shape was no longer the boy she had loved for years. He'd changed into something else, something that would get into a fight to the death with their former sensei… over her.

Kakashi. Why would he pick a fight with his former student? A fight he apparently couldn't win. He'd never shown an interest in her personal wellbeing before… no, that wasn't right. He _had,_ on several – no _numerous_ – different occasions. Now that she thought of it, Kakashi had been there for her many, many times. Sometimes to rescue her from a particularly aggressive jonin at the bar, others to offer her a hand up after falling, and on the rare occasion to offer a shoulder for her to alternately beat on and cry into when life had dealt a particularly cruel blow. Quietly, and with an ever present smile, Kakashi had been there for her nearly every time she had really needed someone. And, those few times he had missed were due to his absence from the village while on a mission. He had always managed to accidentally bump into her afterward, upon his return, to check in and see how she was doing. The older man clearly cared for her more than she had ever realized… and she had just shoved him to the side when he needed her the most to traipse off to see a man who had never cared for her like Kakashi apparently always had.

Finally something snapped within her and Sakura pulled herself to her feet. Tsunade shot her a look and judged from the younger woman's expression that trying to stop or reason with her wouldn't work.

"I've got to go." Sakura stated flatly as she was already exiting the room.

Tsunade let her leave, knowing that she had already sent ANBU ops out after Sasuke and chances were that they would reach Kakashi before the confused and upset kunoichi. Even in her obviously muddled and distraught state Sakura would be just fine going out after them.

* * *

Kakashi slowly opened his eye upon sensing the presence of another in his family home. With a grunt of pain he shifted himself a little in the chair, wanting to meet the intruder in a somewhat dignified manner. A tiny part of him hoped against hope that his medic had come for him and that things might work out for them after all.

Kakashi's hope – as small as it was – died as Sasuke entered the room. With an arrogant smirk on his face the younger man chuckled humorlessly at Kakashi's obviously debilitated condition.

"So I finally found you old man. Didn't think you'd try and leave your apartment – Sakura'd never find you if you did…" The Uchiha's eyes narrowed with sudden clarity. "Perhaps that's why you left? Trying to put some distance between the two of you?"

Kakashi remained silent. The appearance of his dark haired former student shattered what little will to live he had remaining. The last tiny piece of him that thoughts of Sakura had been keeping intact broke. Sakura must have sent Sasuke in to finish the job, and if that was what she wanted, then he would oblige. After all, he had tried to kill Sasuke, to take her chance at happiness away from her. He deserved to die for his unbelievably selfish actions. Kakashi wanted nothing more than for the pink haired medic to be happy, and if that meant giving in and allowing Sasuke to kill him, then so be it. He would die like the beast he was.

"What? Don't you have anything to say, old man?" Sasuke asked with contempt clear in his voice.

The Copy Ninja remained silent. The only thing he really wanted to say would be something to extract a promise from the Uchiha – stating that he would take good care of Sakura, but somehow the words refused to form on his lips. A small part of him still did not want to let her go, to let Sasuke take her. She deserved better, not that he could give it to her. However, he was positive that Sasuke couldn't either… Sakura might believe that he could and, that belief might last for a little while. But, eventually, she would realize that she was wrong. Sasuke could not give her what she wanted, what she _deserved_. Neither of them could.

Some of Kakashi's defiance must have shown in his demeanor as Sasuke scoffed. "Get over it Kakashi. She chose me – didn't even _think_ about you. You're nothing more than an animal, a beast – doubly so now that she knows that you attacked me…" he paused in the middle of his lie as a thought occurred to him. "Though, she probably also knows by now that I wasn't nearly as sick as they thought I was… but that is neither here nor there." The dark haired shinobi waved his hand negligently, dismissing the topic from conversation, confident that he could easily deal with his deception at a later time.

"Anyway, before I leave – taking Sakura with me, of course – I have a little unfinished business with you." He eyed the Copy Ninja for a moment, a smirk hovering on his lips. "Looks like you're the only thing standing between me and what I want."

* * *

A blind panic filled Sakura as she sprinted to Kakashi's apartment as quickly as she her chakra enhanced feet would carry her, fearing that she was too late. Vaguely Sakura knew that Tsunade had sent ANBU after Sasuke, but for some reason she just didn't think that was enough. It still boggled her mind that Kakashi might have picked a fight over her, but if that had been the case, she was positive it was because he had her best interests at heart – he _always_ did.

Memories flooded her mind as she rushed on. Kakashi's smiling face as he handed her a birthday gift, two months late. The time after a particularly stressful and tiring day at the hospital when he had shown up at her apartment - seemingly by coincidence - with dinner for two from a local restaurant. Then there was the time he had deftly interfered with that diplomat from Rain who had gotten a little overly friendly with her in his unwanted advances. Countless times he'd been there for her, and the one time he really needed her, she had abandoned him. Guilt returned to knot her stomach painfully – she _had_ to get to him in time.

Finally she arrived and heaved a huge sigh of relief. Quickly she slipped in through his kitchen window.

"Kakashi?" She called as she tried not to rush too quickly to his bedroom. "I'm sorry to be gone so long…" Sakura trailed off as she entered the bedroom, it was destroyed. The bed in pieces and the sparse decorations destroyed.

Blind panic filled her once again – she was too late, Sasuke had gotten there before her. A mini-panic attack and a deep calming breath later she was able to forcibly compose herself enough to assess the situation. Another look at the messy room revealed no blood – there was no way that Sasuke had tangled with and killed Kakashi without drawing blood.

No, Sasuke must have come by, found Kakashi gone and taken out his anger on the room… Sakura shook her head, how had her former sensei known? Scratch that, how had he even gotten out of the apartment without help? He was far too injured to have done it on his own, yet…

Panic hit her again, full force. If he had moved himself out of harm's way he was sure to have done irreparable damage to himself… and, Sasuke was sure to still be after him.

Without a second thought Sakura took off to the most likely place her former sensei might have retreated to – the memorial.

* * *

"Come _on_ , old man, get up and fight!" Sasuke shouted with frustration as he almost negligently tossed a handful of senbon at Kakashi – the needles missing the elite shinobi by mere millimeters, instead sinking into the chair and the wall behind him. Somehow the idea of killing his former sensei without a fight didn't appeal. He needed for it to be the two of them in a fair fight. Just straight up murdering the older man didn't feel right.

Kakashi stayed where he was having no intention of fighting with his former student. He'd already fought with Sasuke once and it had cost him Sakura, a price he was more than unwilling to pay. The very thought that he had truly lost Sakura for good was enough to finally break him. He saw no point in continuing to defend himself and his selfish actions. Granted, he knew that his life was forfeit regardless of if he fought or not, but… the Copy Ninja just couldn't quite seem to find it within himself to fight. He'd already lost, the moment he had first attacked Sasuke, he'd lost. He had come to accept it. There really was no need to fight.

Regardless, he would be dead soon enough, whether Sasuke got over his desire not to fight a man unwilling to fight or not – his body was already too injured. If his former student didn't kill him directly, his wounds from their previous fight most certainly would.

* * *

Panting she skidded to a halt as she entered the clearing surrounding the memorial. ANBU operatives milled around as six captains discussed their next move. Kakashi was nowhere to be seen and there were no signs of a struggle, recent or otherwise.

Quietly Sakura cursed, she couldn't imagine where he would have gone if not to the memorial. Her eyes made their way to the stone of their own accord and a couple tears of frustration leaked down her cheeks, tears she had found herself unable to shed for Sasuke. If she couldn't find him… his name would be the next to be added to be memorial stone: Kakashi Hatake… and it would be all her fault. Kakashi was dying, and it was all her fault. Sasuke was going to go finish him off, and it was _all her fault_.

Kakashi cared enough to get into a fight he couldn't hope to win over _her_ and she had just abandoned him when he had needed her the most.

Ignoring the puzzled shinobi she took a few steps closer to the memorial, her eyes scanning the stone, picking out the newer familiar names and skimming over the older and less familiar, looking for even a fraction of the sense of calm that she knew Kakashi found while pondering the cenotaph. Occasionally a family name would jump out at her, members of her friends' families. The higher she went the more she realized that there were an awful lot of Hatakes. Kakashi himself was so amazing that she tended to forget that he was the last in the line of a fairly prestigious shinobi clan…

Suddenly she remembered seeing an old family home near the Uchiha compound a long time ago when she had been on her way to visit Sasuke. The home had stood proud despite its obvious neglect. A battered only barely legible sign had proclaimed it the residence of the Hatake clan. At the time she had been surprised to see it and had even tried to ask Kakashi about it but, the man had remained as evasive as ever whenever she asked him about his past…

Sakura took off – it was a long-shot, but she was going to try for it anyway. She had nothing left to lose and _everything_ to gain.

* * *

"That's it! I've had it old man!" Sasuke nearly screamed his frustration. "I don't care if you won't fight back we finish this _now_."

The infuriated dark haired man closed the gap between them and heaved the old wooden desk aside. The ancient piece of furniture shattered upon contact with the wall and floor.

* * *

The sound of old wood splintering told Sakura that her leap of logic was correct and she managed to find a little extra chakra enhanced speed. Her heart pounded and her blood turned cold as she ran, encompassed in full blown panic. Sasuke was killing Kakashi and it was all her fault.

Almost before she knew it, Sakura found herself bursting into one of the numerous rooms – her feet having followed the noise. She paused for only a fraction of a second in the doorway – training taking over from her desperation. It was enough to take in what was going on. Sasuke immediately dropped the limp form of their former sensei and took a few steps back to take in the new dynamics of the situation.

She watched in horror as Kakashi slid almost bonelessly back into the chair. Sakura had seen death more times than she could conveniently count and she had learned enough to see that Kakashi wasn't quite dead yet there was still a spark – however faint – of life left in him. But, she knew, if she didn't act now he soon would be dead.

Sasuke shook his head in annoyance upon realizing just who had interrupted him. "Stay there Sakura. Let me just finish up with Kakashi and then we'll be on our way." He turned his back to the kunoichi and took several steps away from the crumpled form in the chair. The Uchiha smiled as he braced his left arm with his right. It seemed only fitting to do the Copy Ninja, master of over one-thousand jutsu and creator of one, in with his only original move – though it did require at least a little bit of room to get it right otherwise the end result could get incredibly messy.

Sakura's heart leapt into her throat – she recognized that particular stance – and her body acted without her conscious direction. Memories of Kakashi and all the things he had done for her running through her mind: him ruffling her hair after a bad day and offering to take her out for ramen, him smiling and offering her a hand up after a particularly rough sparring session, the way her heart had beat a little faster when he was around for the past several months, the way he had gently carried her home after she had all but passed out during a training session and spent the night on her couch to make sure she was okay in the morning… how could she have possibly left him when he had needed her? The older man had obviously cared more for her than Sasuke ever had.

"Sasuke! _NO_!" Sakura cried as she threw herself in front of their former teacher, almost exactly as she had many years before – though that time it had been Naruto that Sasuke had been determined to kill and Kakashi had been the one to save _her_.

Surprised, the Uchiha pulled himself up short and cut the chakra to his chidori, narrowly missing the pink haired woman, yet still managing to singe some of her hair.

"Sakura? What the hell?! Get out of my way!" Confusion and irritation colored his words. Clearly the Uchiha didn't think she posed much of a threat to him.

She looked him in the eye, doing her best not to show her fear – even in his weakened state he was a hell of a lot stronger than her; especially since she'd spent the past several days pouring everything she had into healing their former sensei. And, they both knew it. "No. I won't let you."

His eyes reverted to their normal state as he narrowed them in annoyance. "Sakura, _move_."

The kunoichi visibly flinched a little but held firm. "No."

"You're protecting _Kakashi_?" Sasuke asked incredulously, starting to wonder if it was some sort of trick or joke – she loved _him_ , always had and always would... so why would she suddenly take Kakashi's side?

"Yes." She lifted her head defiantly, beginning to think that she should have mentioned to the ANBU operatives at the memorial where she was going. The medic could already see that there was no way she was going to come out of this with Kakashi alive unless she did some very quick and fancy thinking. Sasuke would get him, one way or another, either the Uchiha would toss her aside and finish the job he had started or Kakashi would die of the wounds already inflicted upon him – regardless of how it happened, it would all be her fault. Kakashi had gotten his wounds defending her and she had just deserted him in his time of need... if she hadn't they wouldn't be in their current mess.

Dumbfounded and starting to get angry at her he stared and asked with an edge of disbelief coloring his voice. " _Why_?"

"Because," Sakura hesitated, uncertain of what she should say, of what she _could_ say… Kakashi was important to her, more important than she had initially realized.

Sasuke eyed her, his patience wearing thin – he should just knock her out, finish the job and fix her memory before she woke up – preferably once they were safe, back in Sound. The Uchiha had had just about had enough and wanted to be on his way. He knew that the longer he dallied – playing with Kakashi – the larger the chance of others finding and interrupting them. He needed to finish the job, grab Sakura and go.

"Because," Sakura started again, dozens of memories and half-understood feelings washed over her and she finally made the realization. "Because, I love him," Sakura finished with a bit of surprise in her voice.

"You _what_?!" Sasuke's eyes widened and he took an involuntary step back in incredulity. That was the absolute last thing he had expected to hear from her. Certainly she couldn't be speaking the truth. She loved _him_ , Sasuke, had since she was younger, surely she still loved him? She _had_ abandoned Kakashi when he was still clearly in need of her services to come see him at the hospital, after all.

Kakashi twitched at the sound of Sakura's voice, he'd been desperately clinging to consciousness since she arrived, concerned as to her safety with Sasuke in such a foul mood. Shock and disbelief brought him fully awake as adrenaline fueled his fatigued body. He couldn't believe he had heard her say what his pain fogged mind thought he heard, he had to have misheard her. There was just no way she could ever love someone like him, no way. It was impossible. Never had he in all his wildest fantasies ever imagined for even a second that she might actually, really, truly, return his feelings. Granted, that had never stopped him from hoping. Nevertheless he fought to regain control of his body, exhaustion and his injuries having long since taken it away from him. The elite jonin just had to get up and fight, Sakura would be in trouble if she kept interfering on his behalf.

Reaching for confidence she knew she didn't have Sakura straightened her posture, trying for defiant. "You heard me. I love him." She repeated herself, hoping that her own surprise didn't leak into the tone of her voice. Somewhere deep down she knew her statement was true and that her old feelings for Sasuke had kept her from seeing what had been right in front of her eyes during his long absence. But, now that the Uchiha was back, she could see that she no longer loved him, and hadn't for a long time. Those feelings had at some point in time been transferred to the Copy Ninja and now that she had finally recognized them for what they were, she was about to lose him.

After his initial shock and mystification Sasuke laughed. "You don't mean that. You're confused – I must have put a little too much force behind it when I knocked you out earlier. You love _me_. Always have. Always will." He shook his head in bemusement, "Once the fog clears you'll see I'm right."

She cringed at his words, noticing for the first time that his eyes were devoid of warmth; instead they were cold and calculating. Her mind went into overtime trying to think of a way she could take Sasuke down long enough for her to escape with Kakashi. Unfortunately she just didn't have the raw power needed to take a shinobi such as Sasuke head-on, even in his current weakened state. At least, not in _her_ current chakra depleted state, if she'd not been spending every spare bit of chakra healing Kakashi over the past several days, then it would be a different story entirely. But, now, now in her present state… things didn't look good. Sure, she had short bursts of monstrous strength, incredible healing powers, and an intelligence not to be trifled with; unfortunately, her panicked mind just couldn't come up with a viable plan with the limited amount of chakra she had to work with to save both herself and Kakashi. And, most of her delaying tactics, genjutsu was always something of her forte, were useless against an Uchiha with the clan's bloodline trait. No matter what she tried, Sasuke's Sharingan would see right through it almost immediately… _almost_.

"Now get out of my way so I can finish Kakashi off." Sasuke took a step forward, intending to brush the startled woman aside to deal the final blow to Kakashi and be done with it.

"No. You can't kill him… I-I won't let you." She repeated stubbornly, knowing that she couldn't win head-on against the Uchiha in her current state. However, she might have a chance to slip out of the Hatake home and send up a distress signal if she could play things off just right – as if she were the helpless but, stubborn kunoichi the dark haired man had once known and now clearly expected her still to be.

Sasuke laughed again though he wasn't particularly amused. "And, what are _you_ going to do to stop me?"

Never had Kakashi wanted to get to his feet and fight more in his entire life. Sakura was in over her head trying to protect him. She'd said that she loved him – something he wasn't quite prepared to believe but, it was still something that spurred him on nonetheless. He twitched again as he slowly gathered himself to sit up, standing was a little ambitious for him at just that moment. Drawing on resources he hadn't known he had he was finally able to pull himself together and regain control of his failing body.

The slight movement caught the Uchiha's attention and he smirked. "Ah, so you finally decide to fight me old man?" He watched as the Copy Ninja gradually straightened himself in the chair and almost painfully lifted his head to face him.

Sakura backed up a few steps to face her former teacher as best she could while still keeping an eye on Sasuke. For her half formed plan to work, the silver haired shinobi would have to stay where he was – besides, any movement would just exacerbate his already almost certainly fatal wounds.

"Kakashi, _no_!" She reached out to him, trying to keep the severely injured man still. Moving around would just kill him faster. Tears pricked her eyes as once again the seriousness of the situation hit her, and the stress of it all increased tenfold. "You _can't_! You're in _no_ condition to fight!"

Gently and with increasing coordination Kakashi brushed her hand aside, took a deep breath, and carefully pushed himself to his feet, standing sideways so he could face Sakura while keeping an eye on the Uchiha.

"S'alright Sakura. Won'let 'im hurt you. Won' evr let 'im urt you." He murmured, too softly for Sasuke to hear – not wanting to deal with the taunts he was sure the cliché phrases would earn from his dark haired former student. The Copy Ninja knew they were lies even as he spoke them, but couldn't think of anything else to say to reassure the distraught woman. He didn't want her to suffer on his behalf – he truly wished for nothing but happiness for his pink haired former student. Even more so now that he knew that she had apparently gotten over her schoolgirl crush on their former teammate. As much as he wanted only happiness for her, he had selfishly been unable to hope for things to work out between Sakura and Sasuke. Regardless, he could now die happy in the knowledge that she'd moved on and even, in a moment of confusion surely, said that she loved him. He was sure that she'd not realized what she'd said but, he would take it to his grave as a happy man – regretting only that he'd not been granted more time alive to enjoy that blissful knowledge.

She shook her head and hissed back at him. "I don't care about _me_! I care about _you_! You stubborn old man! You're in no condition to fight! You're going to _die_!"

He smiled a little, as best as he could, and brought a hand up to her cheek. "S'okay. Long 's f'you… it's'okay."

" _Kakashi_ …" she choked, the rest of her statement lost as her throat closed on the rest of her words. She had had no idea that he felt that way about her. Or, apparently, that she'd felt the same way about him.

"S'alright." He let his hand rub her cheek gently. "Soon as w'start, run. Get help."

Sakura wanted to shake her head, to tell him that she had a plan and needed his cooperation, but her emotions got the better of her and the words refused to form on her lips. It was all happening too fast; it was just too much to take in all at once.

Sasuke scowled, getting impatient and not liking the way his former sensei and teammate were interacting – for a moment he almost believed that Sakura might actually have feelings for the older man after all before dismissing the idea as ridiculous. "That's enough! Come on and fight me old man! I've wasted too much time waiting around for you already."

Slowly Kakashi turned to face his dark haired former student protectively pushing Sakura behind him. He knew that he would die but, hoped that his efforts would be enough to save Sakura. "Always impatient, even when young an' too 'cool' t'openly show it."

The Uchiha smirked and said nothing. Instead, he pulled two fistfuls of senbon from his sleeves and flung them at Kakashi – wondering if the older man really was in fighting condition or if he was bluffing.

The Copy Ninja made no move to dodge the shower of needles, knowing that if he did Sakura might get hit. So he let them hit home, none of them were aimed to kill him anyway.

"Looks like I've called your bluff old man. You really aren't in any condition to defend yourself. Not that I really care, you are as good as dead regardless." Sasuke chuckled humorlessly and braced himself for another chidori, feeling relatively certain that Kakashi couldn't dodge him.

The Copy Ninja's hands formed a quick chain of hand seals but, just a little too late. Sasuke was on him just as he fashioned the last seal and the partially created jutsu died with the older man.

The Uchiha snorted at Sakura's anguished cry as he absently shook his former sensei's now lifeless body from his hand backing up a few steps to move clear of Kakashi's corpse. He turned his eyes to focus on Sakura, who was now on her knees and sobbing hysterically as she reached out for their former sensei, and sighed. At this rate, he'd definitely have to knock her out and fix her memory before he could trust her again.

For a brief moment he understood Shikamaru's staunch opinion that women were troublesome. Regardless, he felt an unexpected sense of immense satisfaction fill him – killing his former sensei was far more fulfilling than he'd expected. His gaze slid once again to, and then over the form of the pink haired woman on the floor next to the deceased jonin, currently crying as though her heart was breaking. A part of him absently wondered if he'd experience something similar when he took Sakura – she was, after all, more than he'd been expecting her to be, so it was quite possible that she would turn out to be a more satisfactory mate than he'd originally imagined. He smiled to himself as he realized that he found the prospect to be more than pleasing.


	4. Chapter Four: Act IV

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or the characters contained therein, they belong to Masashi Kishimoto who is kind enough to let fans write fiction. I make no profit from this nor do I intend to.

A/N: Unbeta'd. This is _not_ my usual fare. I'm glad this is finished. It makes me a bit sad though since I really enjoyed it when I first wrote it but coming back to it to revise etc. in order to post I found that I liked it less and less as I went along. In the future I'll think twice before undertaking another project like this from the depths of my hard drive. Oh well, live and learn I guess. ^^;;;

* * *

Chapter Four: Act IV

Shaking the disconcerting thoughts that Sakura might actually turn out to be worth all the trouble he'd just gone through to get her, Sasuke turned his attention back to the immediate situation at hand. Feeling a little irritated that his woman should still seem to be so utterly devastated by the death of an old has-been, the dark haired young man turned to close the gap between himself and his kunoichi. She was still grieving noisily over the lifeless body of their former sensei –it was almost as if what she'd said about him was really true – that she actually did love the older man. Again, his mind waved those thoughts away – Sakura loved him, always had, always would – anything else was too ridiculous to entertain even for a moment – end of story.

As he approached, she turned red-rimmed, fear-filled eyes up at him with tears still flowing down her cheeks. However, she didn't make a move to lash out at him or even make a run for it when he stopped in front of her. For a moment he thought that was a good sign, she was resigned to her fate and wasn't likely to try to fight it. She'd probably go along with him submissively now that Kakashi was dead. As he pondered the situation, he realized that he probably wouldn't have to do too much to her memory after all… he had to pause in mid-thought – that wasn't like the Sakura he'd once known. Only then did he realize that something wasn't quite right with the weeping woman huddled on the floor in front of him. For a moment he couldn't quite put a finger on what was bothering him. All of a sudden it hit him like a load of bricks – _genjutsu_.

Hastily he raised his hands and released it, his anger increased tenfold when the false images cleared and he found himself alone in the room with a gaping hole in the exterior wall.

Cursing at his own stupidity for underestimating the woman he leapt through the hole in the wall ready to kill the both of them.

* * *

Sakura saw her chance when Sasuke flung a double fistful of senbon at Kakashi. He was so confident of the outcome he hadn't even bothered to activate his Sharingan. She knew it was now or never and acted, using Kakashi's form to hide what she was doing from the Uchiha.

Just as the needles should have hit her former sensei she punched a hole in the wall and pulled Kakashi through with her, low enough to the floor to avoid either one of them getting hit with even one of the airborne needles. She knew she had bought them a minute or two at the very most and wanted to make the best use of their limited time and her remaining chakra as possible.

Once outside, she completed a quick chain of hand seals and sent an enormous fireball – one of Sasuke's favorite jutsu when they were younger, he'd be angry if he ever found out that she had used it against him – into the sky, hoping that someone would see it and send people to investigate.

Without another word she used another burst of chakra enhanced strength to pull the wounded and dazed man onto her back and a rapid succession of chakra enhanced bursts of strength to sprint for the village. Sakura guessed that she had probably less than a minute left and that Sasuke was sure to be enraged if, no _when_ he finally caught up with them.

* * *

Kakashi braced himself for the pain of a dozen or so senbon perforating his skin; but, at the last minute, he was pulled out of the way and out of his father's study via a rather large hole courtesy of Sakura's fast thinking and monstrous strength.

Stunned, and in no real condition to react, he watched dumbly as she shot an enormous fireball into the sky. Rather absently he noted that it was one of Sasuke's family jutsu if he wasn't mistaken. He wanted to comment on it, but his brief surge of strength was flagging and no amount of adrenaline coursing through his system could keep him going.

He was, after all, still dying. All of the good the healing Sakura had poured into him over the previous days had been more than negated by the combination of his move to his family home and the brief bit of strength he'd used to stand up to Sasuke. He wanted to say something to Sakura, thank her for her concern but tell her to go on without him. He wanted her to _live_ , live and be _happy_. But, he found that he lacked the strength to even stand on his own, never mind to open his mouth and put voice to his painful thoughts.

Just as he thought he was going to collapse, Sakura grabbed his hands and urged him onto her back. Quickly, and with more speed than he remembered her ever showing, she shot off into the woods, toward the village.

* * *

Sakura tripped and stumbled over another exposed root, only just barely managing to stay on her feet. Doggedly she kept going. She could tell by how limp Kakashi had become on her back that he was fading fast she needed to get him medical attention immediately. Unfortunately the almost constant drain on her chakra was taking its toll on her as well. She knew that she could only go on for a little longer before she would collapse and the probability of her being able to get back to her feet was slim.

The body on her back suddenly went entirely slack and she felt fear slam into her and another burst of adrenaline pushed her on, helping her find reserves of strength she didn't know she had.

"Please hang in there Kakashi, _please_ …" she whispered, though she knew the man she loved was beyond hearing her now.

* * *

A continuous stream of curses slipped from his mouth as he followed the determined kunoichi and, not all of them were directed at her. She was heading back to the village through the woods surrounding the old Hatake estate, rather than going back directly through the abandoned Uchiha compound. He couldn't believe that he had been so stupid as to fall for such a simple – though, he had to admit, excellently executed – genjutsu. _He_ , an _Uchiha_ , had been bested by second rate, of course second rate when compared to his own Sharingan, jutsu.

His blood boiled just thinking about it. But, the calmer part of him, the more rational part, couldn't help but admire her for it. And, as much as his anger demanded for him to kill her, he knew he couldn't – she was far, far more valuable than he had imagined, it would be pure folly to destroy such an asset. No, instead, he'd just settle for making her his – for real. Though, first he would enjoy killing Kakashi while she watched – he realized now that he wouldn't truly be able to make her his until Kakashi was no longer in the picture. Annoying, but, since he already intended on killing his former sensei it wouldn't particularly change his existing plan. And, the pain and anguish she would experience at seeing Kakashi die in front of her eyes while she was unable to do anything to prevent it would make up for the fool she had made of him. After that he would break her – if Kakashi's death didn't already do the trick – selectively fix her memory and take her back to Sound.

Quickly he pushed on, knowing that it was only a matter of time before he caught up to her and that the ending of their story was already written, a foregone conclusion. The beast would die and he would get the girl – just how all good fairy tales ended.

* * *

Sakura felt her adrenaline finally starting to wear off despite the fact that her mind was still in full-blown panic mode with the knowledge that they were not yet out of the woods, literally.

Just when she thought the forest would go on forever she saw the clearing that held the memorial just up ahead. Unbidden a little cry of joy escaped from her lips, where it promptly died.

Standing just inside the ring of trees, between her and the clearing with the memorial, stood Sasuke. He smirked as the expression of relief slipped from her face.

"Found you," he said with clear triumph in his voice – enjoying how her expression had changed from hope to something akin to despair. He was going to enjoy this.

Sakura wanted to scream in frustration as she was pulled to a halt but, found that she lacked the energy. And, now that she was standing still, she found that the weight of her former sensei was much more than she could easily carry without augmenting her strength. Against her will Sakura sagged down to her knees, a couple of tears of frustration streaked down her cheeks as the pink haired kunoichi realized that though she had played a good game, and given Sasuke a good run for his money, she had finally lost. She had been so close. So close, and yet, so far.

" _No_ ," she finally managed to whisper. Her energy waned and she felt Kakashi's legs slipping from her hands, and his limp form sliding from her back. She had nothing left. No chakra, no strength, no energy… _nothing_.

The Uchiha sauntered closer, taking his time to prolong the pink haired woman's fear and pain – after all, she'd made a right fool of him with her little genjutsu, served her right to feel a bit of real fear.

"Sasuke, _please_. Please, _don't_ …" she started once he was within hearing range of her weak voice. "I'll, I'll go with you… do, do whatever you want…Just… _please_ … _don't_ …"

He chuckled, not having expected to hear her beg, but enjoying it nonetheless. He stopped before her, taking in her entirely drained state.

Exhausted, she felt herself sag all the way down to the ground and was unable to even glance back up at her former teammate, lacking the strength to even hold her head up.

Wanting to drive his point home, Sasuke bent over, grabbed a handful of her hair and jerked her head back up so he could look her in the eye – a little more roughly than strictly necessary but, she would just have to get used to it..

"I'll do as I please. And, right now, it _pleases_ me to kill Kakashi and take you – whether you're _willing_ or _not_." His eyes flashed red as he activated his Sharingan, more to scare and remind her that he was more than capable of doing whatever he pleased with her, than anything else. The Uchiha didn't want to knock her out just yet; after all, he wanted her to watch as he killed their former sensei.

Sakura found the strength to flinch at seeing his family trait appear and fought the realization that he would kill Kakashi and take her and there was absolutely nothing she could do about it. Regardless, she still knew it was all over now. Nothing could save them short of a miracle.

Feeling as though he had made his point Sasuke pulled the unresisting kunoichi up and deposited her out of the way – making sure she was positioned in such a way that she could not miss what he was about to do next. "This time I finish this."

" _Sasuke_ , _please_ _no_ _!_ " she cried again with her remaining strength as she watched the dark haired man advance on their former sensei. She knew it wouldn't sway their dark haired former teammate but, she couldn't just sit there and watch, she had to do _something_. Unfortunately, all she could do, she had already done – to no avail.

He chuckled at her weak protests. "Don't worry, you'll forget about him soon enough. I'll make sure of that."

" _NO_ _!_ " she cried again with as much strength as she could, the shout much louder than she would have thought she was capable of in that state, her hand reaching out weakly toward Kakashi.

"Hey! Who's out there?!"

A new voice interrupted before Sasuke could advance any further, causing the Uchiha to freeze in indecision; Naruto had been on his to-kill list for a long time and now he might finally have his chance. Kakashi and Sakura clearly weren't going anywhere any time soon – he could afford to take the time and kill his former rival before finishing up with them. He'd have plenty of time to deal with the older man and his kunoichi later.

" _Sakura_?! Is that you in there? Finally! Is Kakashi okay?" the disembodied voice called from the memorial clearing.

Hope suddenly flooded the desperate kunoichi, as Naruto landed lightly next to her. The blonde man quickly assessed the situation. He'd only just returned to the village to learn that Sasuke was out to kill Kakashi. Immediately, he'd joined in the search for the Uchiha heir – starting out at the memorial where he'd heard the ANBU teams had been strategizing. Unfortunately, they'd already split up and moved out by the time he'd gotten there. However, it would appear that he was still just in time to confront his childhood rival after all.

Exhausted, Sakura tried to explain the situation to Naruto, concerned that he might misunderstand what was happening. "Sasuke's back – _rogue_. Wants t'kill K'ashi." She managed to weakly reach out to the blue eyed shinobi. " _Please_ , save him."

Gently the blonde man patted Sakura's shoulder. "It's okay, Sakura. I know." Naruto turned his gaze to Sasuke and narrowed his eyes. He had been ready to forgive the Uchiha when he finally returned to the village. But, what Sasuke was apparently trying to do was unforgivable. He would end this now.

Sakura watched, feeling helpless to do anything to help either her former sensei or Naruto, and silently prayed that Naruto would come out on top and that it wasn't too late to save Kakashi.

* * *

Weeks later Sakura found herself still in the hospital but, no longer as a patient, rather she was still at Kakashi's side – holding his hand when she could, in the hopes that the contact was something he could somehow sense. The elite shinobi was still listed as in critical condition. He had awakened only briefly after Naruto's fight with Sasuke. The older man was cognizant just long enough to inquire about Sakura's safety before slipping into a coma once he heard that she would be fine.

The pink haired medic had been beside herself after finding out that the one time she had left his side – to make a mandatory report to Tsunade – he had regained consciousness without her being there, where she felt she belonged, by his side. Consequently, she absolutely refused to leave his side again – making things difficult the first few times someone tried to assign her to a mission or wanted her medical services. She'd since been temporarily removed from the mission rolls and was handling patients when necessary from a room attached to Kakashi's hospital room.

The damage Kakashi had suffered combined with the damage he had inflicted upon himself seemed to be too much for his battered body – while not ancient, he wasn't exactly young either. Yet, she still stayed by his side, immediately dealing with emergencies as they arose, and occasionally calling on the Hokage and several other medics when things became too much for her. They'd almost lost him a dozen or so times but, quick thinking and as many medics as it took on hand had been enough to bring him back on each occasion. The silver lining of the situation seemed to be that at least Kakashi no longer appeared to be fighting the healing process as he had been when he'd first been brought back to the village. He now seemed to be fighting to live – fighting just as hard as the medics trying to save his life.

Sakura knew that most of the hospital staff – those who had not had a hand in helping her try and save him – had pretty much given up on Kakashi as a lost cause but, she refused to do the same. As long as he was still breathing she clung to the hope that he would pull through. And, as far as she could see, he was still fighting. Besides, Naruto had suffered far worse than Kakashi at the hands of Sasuke before finally putting the Uchiha down for good, and he was up and about once again… Granted, Naruto had the advantage of being 14 years younger than the Copy Ninja and the added bonus of the kyuubi inside him, but still… Sakura couldn't quite help but assume that Kakashi would pull through too. She had to – there were no other acceptable outcomes.

* * *

Several weeks later Sakura still remained at Kakashi's side, as always, holding his hand in both of her own. He was past the critical stage but, still hadn't come out of his coma. She now stayed by his side to thwart the intermittent attempts of some of the medical staff to pull the plugs on his life support machines. The majority of them were convinced that he wouldn't make it – he'd remain asleep indefinitely. He was too old and the trauma too great for him to ever recover consciousness. And, they were concerned that Sakura would slowly waste away with him while she waited for something that would, in their opinion, never happen.

She looked at him again. Aside from the coma he was still in pretty rough shape, even after a couple of months of intensive healing. If, no _when_ she corrected herself, he woke up he would need a lot of physical therapy before he would be mission ready again. Still, nothing was unsurmountable – she could envision no issues arising that they couldn't handle together. All he had to do now was to wake up. It seemed so simple and, yet…

Frustration broke through her calm façade for a moment and she removed one of her hands from his to slam it down hard on the little bedside table. It was so unfair. Just after finally figuring out her feelings for him, and realizing that he returned those feelings, she had nearly lost him… was _still_ close to losing him. Sakura hit the table again ignoring the fact that it shattered easily under her fist (it was maybe the sixth or seventh to die under her fist in that room) and several tears fell unheeded onto Kakashi's hand. The first she had shed for him since he had been removed from the critical condition list. She'd, irrationally, not wanted to cry in front of him in the hopes that he was still in there, listening to her. If he was, and for whatever reason, he couldn't force himself awake, she didn't want him to worry unnecessarily over her. Instead she tried to put a brave face on it, just in case. But, it was _hard. So hard_.

She cracked, just a little, and let some of the anguish leak out. "It's not fair for you to be asleep like this when I only just realized that I love you..." she murmured to the unconscious man.

Talking to him while he was asleep had become a natural thing for her to do to pass the time and prevent herself from going a little crazy during her self-imposed vigil. Sakura also liked to imagine that he could hear her and would someday wake up and respond to her one-sided conversations. Though, she had tried to avoid discussing his situation. Rather, she usually tried to keep him apprised of current gossip and how things were going with their friends. Several of whom still came by to visit on occasion. Granted, unbeknownst to her, they usually turned up more to give her a break and make sure she was staying sane, than to sit with their comatose friend.

Slowly the dark eye opened upon feeling the warm drops of liquid on his hand. He knew almost immediately whose tears they were and why she was shedding them, though she hadn't noticed that he was awake yet. He'd heard all of her rather long-winded monologues and had wanted more than anything to give her some sort of sign that he was there listening to her, unfortunately he had never before been able to respond. But, for some strange reason, this time was different – he was finally able to open his eye to look at her. She looked awful, exhausted, pale, thin and crying; but, she was still lovely to his somewhat biased eye.

"Hey," he started with a weak and cracked voice. "What's with the tears?"

Sakura's head snapped up to look at the now awake man with wide tear filled eyes. " _Kakashi_ _!_ " She stared at him for a moment, uncertain if her mind was playing a cruel trick on her. Hastily she put her hands together and performed the genjutsu release just to be sure. When she established that Kakashi really _had_ just opened his eye and spoken to her she heedlessly threw her arms around him and was unable to prevent more tears from flowing.

"Hey, easy there," he chided gently as she jostled him a bit and the dull aches he was somewhat accustomed to flared into full-fledged pains.

She pulled her face from his chest, where she had buried it to hide her fresh bout of tears from him, to look up into his dark eye. "Kakashi…" she started, but found herself unable to say anything else. She had spent the past few months dreaming how things would go when he finally woke up and suddenly she couldn't think of a single thing to say.

Weakly and without his usual coordination he raised a hand to wipe away some of her tears. "What's with these tears?" he asked again with a faint smile, both happy and relieved to finally be in control of his body once again. "Did you just realize that you're stuck with a stubborn old beast of a man who loves you?"

She stared at him for a moment before smacking him very, very lightly. "You're not a beast, Kakashi…" she paused thoughtfully. "But, even if you were, I'd love still you anyway."

* * *

A/N: Two things, before anyone thinks to ask: in my mind, if Sasuke needs to be killed, Naruto is the one who needs to do it. I think it's the childhood rivalry that makes this idea stick in my head – teacher has two students, one turns bad and the other ends up needing to deal with the situation type of thing. The second is that I've always been very careful to avoid having either Kakashi or Sakura kill for the other. In my mind that can have _serious_ ramifications on a relationship and though they are shinobi and killing can be seen as something they do regularly, I'd rather not have the fallout around to spoil my fluff, thank you very much. My story, my rules. ;-D


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